How Do You Handle Key Employees Who Ignore HR Requests? Seeking Advice!

Dear All,

We have a few employees who never listen to HR. I really don't know what type of attitude they are carrying; unfortunately, such employees are important to the company. Whenever we ask them to do something, they directly refuse to do it.

In such a situation, how can we bring that employee back on the right track?

What kind of instructions/work do they reject? It seems they must be confident that the company needs them and it cannot take any action against them. Are they enjoying any preferential treatment by the management to dare HR? Do they know that the company cannot replace them? Is there any succession planning in place? All these details will help you to decide the course of action to be taken against them.

B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor
Navi Mumbai

Reasons for Neglect by Seniors

The reasons some seniors might be neglecting you could include:

a) Designation Matters
If you are an HR Executive, this is a junior designation. Why would some managers listen to you?

b) Perceived Importance
It is not just about designation. By your own admission, they are "important" to the company. They realize this and think they are indispensable.

c) Direct Access to Top Boss
They might be dealing directly with the top boss, establishing rapport over time. Once the top boss listens to them, why listen to someone perceived as less influential?

d) New to the Company
Are you new to the company? Have you found your footing in the company?

e) Departmental Bias
Does your boss think that only 1-2 departments are crucial and others are secondary? Hence, even if step-motherly treatment is given to these departments, nothing matters.

f) Behavioral Acceptance
You find something wrong in the behaviors of a few employees. This is your perception. But what if this behavior is acceptable to the top boss? If it had been unacceptable, he surely would have addressed it by now. Therefore, this acceptance factor from the top boss is significant.

Solution

So what is the solution? Whatever you are doing or saying is in the interest of the company, yet you face resistance. This is normal. To overcome this, I recommend you first gain the trust of the top boss. Hereafter, whatever change you would like to bring in, do so through the top boss. Indirectly, what I am suggesting is to leverage the top boss's influence. I hope this will help you bring about change.

Final Comments

The challenges you are facing are common among SMEs. This is because bosses hardly care to shape the company's culture specifically. They do not understand the importance of a culture of discipline, etiquette, equality, fairness, etc. Above all, getting the right people is a perennial challenge for SMEs. Therefore, these companies are heavily person-dependent and not process-dependent, giving leeway to those who have stayed with the company.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Challenges in HR Management

In some organizations, HR is not taken seriously. Having worked as a Senior Manager - HR and subsequently as GM-HR, I was not successful in encompassing all employees under the HR ambit. I worked in reputed hospitals with 1,200 employees where HR policies and conventions are followed as per grades. However, the salaried and full-time doctors wouldn't give much importance to a Head HR or the company HR policies. Doctors, consultants, and surgeons assume they are the sole breadwinners and disregard the policies and protocols of the HR Administration or the Standing Orders of the company. Management and directors are fully aware of this reality but remain silent.

We in HR often find ourselves compromising values and turning the other direction. It happens sometimes.

Regards, Sridharmala

Steps to Address Employee Non-Compliance

1. You must ask their boss to send a complaint in writing to the HR head.

2. It's the responsibility of their supervisor and bosses to assign work to them.

3. If you receive any complaints against them, then you should seek approval from your HR head and Plant head for the action to be taken, such as a warning or a show cause.

4. After approval, prepare a letter as approved, have it signed by an authorized signatory, and issue the letter to the concerned employee in the presence of one or two witnesses.

5. If they refuse, simply mark "Refused to take" and obtain the signature of a witness.

6. Once again, present the matter to your bosses.

Result: The above procedure covers all aspects where the accused may request you to halt the action or refrain from informing them about future actions taken against them.